Luggage



J. E. BREGLIA July 24, 1956 LUGGAGE Filed Feb. 15, 1954 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS Unite; States Patent LUGGAGE John E. Breglia, Tucson, Ariz. Application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,282

2 Claims. (Cl. 190-50) The instant invention relates to luggage and more particularly to a piece of luggage that can be easily carried without discomfort to the carrier.

The object of this invention is to provide a piece of luggage that can be conveniently carried and which will not cause discomfort to the carrier. The luggage of the instant invention is constructed so that it may be carried between the arm and body of the carrier, the luggage resting or bearing on the carriers hip. Thus, the greater part of the weight of the luggage is supported on the hip of the carrier, and this portion of the body being relatively immobile in walking, there will be no awkward swinging of the luggage as it is carried, easing the load of the luggage on the carrier and preventing chafing of the legs and entanglement with the luggage.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a piece of luggage which can be easily carried by the carrier, and in which the clothes may be suspended in hung position without any undesirable creasing thereof.

It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a piece of luggage which is easily and inexpensively constructed and which has a desirable appearance.

The invention will best be understood from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the luggage of the instant invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the frame of the instant invention with the outer enclosing covering removed, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the luggage.

The novel luggage comprises a supporting frame constructed on a base plate 11, the frame 10 consisting of a pair of side frame members 12, 13 extending upwardly from the base plate 11. Each of the side frame members 12, 13 comprises legs 14 secured to the base plate and rising therefrom, and terminating in horizontally disposed portions 15 defining the top of the luggage. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the base plate 11 is made of sheet metal and the side frame members 12, 13 are each made of materials having sufiicient thickness and diameter, respectively, that they will be rigid and that the luggage will maintain its shape and stand up under the abuse to which luggage is subjected in the course of ordinary use.

The side frame members 12, 13 are maintained in their spaced apart relationship by a cross plate 16 welded to the opposite top portions 15 of the side frame members 12, 13. Immediately below the cross plate 16 and centrally disposed within the luggage there is provided a hanger rod 17. The hanger rod 17 is most conveniently made from the same stock used to form the side frame members 12, 13, and is bent to a substantially U-shape with ears 18 projecting from the ends thereof and welded to the top portions 15 of the side frame members 12, 13. A cross piece 19 is secured to the opposite legs 14 of the side frame member 12, spanning said member intermediate the top and bottom thereof. The cross piece 19 further rigidifies the frame structure 10 and serves an additional purpose which will be discussed in greater detail below. On the opposite side of the luggage there is provided a cross strap 20 which is secured to the opposite legs 14 of the side frame member 13. The cross strap 20 also serves to rigidify the frame structure 10 and has an additional function which will be described in detail below.

The frame 10 constructed as described above supports an enclosing covering 21 having an interior shape which is the complement of that of the frame 10. In the preferred embodiment the covering 21 is made of cloth which can be easily cut to the appropriate patterns and the pieces sewn together in the desired shape, the cloth used being of substantial strength to withstand the abuse to which luggage is normally subjected in use. The cloth covering 21 encasing the frame 10 is provided with a zipper 22 extending the height of an end wall of the luggage and approximately half of the top wall of the luggage to give easy access to the interior of the luggage for insertion and removal of the articles carried therein.

The novel luggage is further provided with hand grip means on a side wall thereof, and located intermediate the top and bottom of the side wall. Said hand grip means may comprise a handle 23 of a conventional form having securing straps 24 at each end thereof. The enclosing covering 21 is provided with apertures 25 in its side wall to permit passage of the straps 24 therethrough, said straps 24 being looped around the cross rod 19 for securing the handle 23 to the luggage. The cross rod 19 may be made of the same stock as used in constructing the side frame members 12, 13 or may be made of heavier stock if it is found necessary to provide the additional strength for securely anchoring the handle 23. It will be apparent that other conventional handle means may be used in practicing the instant invention and that the form described is merely a preferred construction.

In use of the novel luggage, the articles of clothing 26, for example such as suits, are suspended in hung position within the luggage from the hanger rod 17 by means of conventional hangers 27 which can be hooked over the hanger rod 17. The luggage is formed with a suitable profile to permit hanging of the articles of clothing without any creasing thereof. In carrying the luggage of this invention, the carrier grips the handle 23 by draping his arm over the side of the luggage supporting the handle 23, with the opposite side of the luggage adjacent his body. Thus, the luggage is positioned between the inside of the arm and the body of the carrier. The cross strap 20 functions as a hip brace in that upon lifting the luggage by the handle 23 there is a tendency for it to tilt towards the body of the carrier. Upon such tilting the cross strap 20 will come into contact with the carriers body in the area of the hip so that some of the weight of the luggage will be supported on the carriers body. In walking, the parts of the body in the area of the hip are relatively immobile with the result that in carrying the luggage in the described manner, there will be little or no swinging thereof, preventing chafing of the legs and entanglement with the luggage. As a further feature of the invention, side frame members 12, 13 are inclined towards each other so that the luggage tapers towards the top. This feature improves the appearance of the luggage and also facilitates carriage of the luggage between the arm and body of the carrier. The luggage constructed in accordance with the instant invention is simple in its construction, inexpensive and extremely light avoiding any excess weight on the carrier. The

Patented July 24, 1956 bottom plate llperrnits setting the luggage on the ground without any possibility of the luggage falling over.

The novel luggage has been described in a preferred form which is merely exemplary of the invention. "It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the construction of the novel luggage may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited except as set forth in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1 Luggage comprising a skeletonized frame of boxlike shape having height, width, and thickness, said height being of a dimension substantially lower than the average persons arm and said thickness being of a dimension such that said luggage can be accommodated between the arm and the side of the body of an average-size person, wherein the hand of such person would extend approximately half-way down the length of said luggage and on the outside thereof, said frame being constructed of a substantially rectangular base plate having a pair of inverted U-shaped members disposed widthwise of said box-like shape secured thereto at the corners thereof, and extending inclinedly upward therefrom so as to converge toward each other in order to fit comfortably within the space between the arm and the body, including a flexible bag enveloping said frame to form covering Walls for said frame comprising top, bottom, end and side walls, and handle means disposed on the exterior of a side wall substantially below said top wall so that said luggage may be carried with a substantial portion thereof between the arm and the body.

2. Luggage comprising a skeletonized frame of boxlike shape, said frame having a base plate, a pair of inverted U-shaped members secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom, said members being slightly inclined toward each other from the base plate upwardly, a cross-piece extending across the legs of one of said members and secured to said legs at a point predeterminedly spaced from said base plate, a cross plate secured to said members and extending therebetween at a top portion thereof, a flexible bag enveloping said frame, and a handle element having means for connection to said crosspiccc through slits in said bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,952 Crabill Dec. 18, 1906 1,944,633 Bourland Jan. 23, 1934 2,016,520 Short Oct. 8, 1935 2,362,807 Dresner Nov. 14, 1944 2,487,596 Sackstein Nov. 8, 1949 2,542,477 Cart Feb. 20, 1951 2,552,438 Kramer May 8, 1951 2,684,135 Cart July 20, 1954 

